Chuck
05-17-2008, 21:00
Computers running chips made by Advanced Micro Devices could seize up and display the so-called Blue Screen of Death if upgraded to the latest service pack for Windows XP, Hewlett-Packard warns.
"During Windows startup, computers with AMD processors may experience a blue screen error" if they're upgraded from Windows XP SP2 to Windows XP SP3, HP said in a service bulletin posted on its Web site.
More Windows InsightsWhite PapersEMC Saves Millions With Enhanced Productivity and Communication Tools Intranet Improves Productivity and Access to Information, Reduces Costs IT Service Provider Increases Productivity With New Operating System HP said the problem could occur because XP SP3 tries to place on computers a power management driver that's only supposed to run on PCs that use Intel chips. The driver can cause AMD-based computers to crash or enter a cycle of reboots, HP said.
Both HP and Microsoft are working on a patch for the problem. Until then, experienced PC users can work around the bug by starting AMD-based machines in Safe Mode and disabling the Intel power management driver.
Other problems have been reported as well.
Within hours of its general release earlier this month, Windows XP SP3 began drawing hundreds of complaints from users who claim the update is wreaking havoc on their PCs.
The problems with XP SP3, according to posters on Microsoft's Windows XP message board, range from spontaneous reboots to outright system crashes.
"My external disks are having trouble starting up, which results in Windows not starting up," complained user Michael Faklis, in a post. "After three attempts [to install XP SP3] with different configurations each time, System Restore was the only way to get me out of deep s**t," said "Doug W."
Another user said the service pack prevented him from starting his computer. "I downloaded and installed Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals," wrote "Paul." "Now I can't get the computer to boot."
Help is on its way for users affected by the Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 endless-reboot problem that has plagued some users for the past week-plus.
Both Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard are readying patches that should remedy the glitch, which seems to affect primarily users of AMD-based systems.
Microsoft blamed OEMs who improperly placed a Windows XP image created for Intel-based machine on non-Intel-based systems.
HP is advising users running XP on AMD-based systems to delay deploying SP3 until the company releases a patch, which sounds like it is due out this week or next at the latest. From a May 15 report in Computerworld:
“HP is working diligently with Microsoft on a software update and will be proactively distributing a patch this week through HP Update that will prevent this error from occurring….The patch will be posted to this page of HP’s support site when it’s available.
“Microsoft is also developing a prerequisite fix that must be downloaded before SP3 will automatically install prior to its proactive distribution of SP3,” HP statement added.”
"During Windows startup, computers with AMD processors may experience a blue screen error" if they're upgraded from Windows XP SP2 to Windows XP SP3, HP said in a service bulletin posted on its Web site.
More Windows InsightsWhite PapersEMC Saves Millions With Enhanced Productivity and Communication Tools Intranet Improves Productivity and Access to Information, Reduces Costs IT Service Provider Increases Productivity With New Operating System HP said the problem could occur because XP SP3 tries to place on computers a power management driver that's only supposed to run on PCs that use Intel chips. The driver can cause AMD-based computers to crash or enter a cycle of reboots, HP said.
Both HP and Microsoft are working on a patch for the problem. Until then, experienced PC users can work around the bug by starting AMD-based machines in Safe Mode and disabling the Intel power management driver.
Other problems have been reported as well.
Within hours of its general release earlier this month, Windows XP SP3 began drawing hundreds of complaints from users who claim the update is wreaking havoc on their PCs.
The problems with XP SP3, according to posters on Microsoft's Windows XP message board, range from spontaneous reboots to outright system crashes.
"My external disks are having trouble starting up, which results in Windows not starting up," complained user Michael Faklis, in a post. "After three attempts [to install XP SP3] with different configurations each time, System Restore was the only way to get me out of deep s**t," said "Doug W."
Another user said the service pack prevented him from starting his computer. "I downloaded and installed Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals," wrote "Paul." "Now I can't get the computer to boot."
Help is on its way for users affected by the Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 endless-reboot problem that has plagued some users for the past week-plus.
Both Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard are readying patches that should remedy the glitch, which seems to affect primarily users of AMD-based systems.
Microsoft blamed OEMs who improperly placed a Windows XP image created for Intel-based machine on non-Intel-based systems.
HP is advising users running XP on AMD-based systems to delay deploying SP3 until the company releases a patch, which sounds like it is due out this week or next at the latest. From a May 15 report in Computerworld:
“HP is working diligently with Microsoft on a software update and will be proactively distributing a patch this week through HP Update that will prevent this error from occurring….The patch will be posted to this page of HP’s support site when it’s available.
“Microsoft is also developing a prerequisite fix that must be downloaded before SP3 will automatically install prior to its proactive distribution of SP3,” HP statement added.”